Abstract: A process chamber housing for an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a process chamber with a bottom, a ceiling, and sidewalls jointly enclosing a volume of the process chamber, with a gas inlet in a front wall and a gas outlet in a rear wall of the sidewalls. The gas inlet and outlet are positioned at opposite sides of an opening in the bottom and face each other, which allows for an improved removal of smoke out of the process chamber if the gas inlet has a width wi, the opening has a width ws, and the gas outlet has a width w0, such that at least one of the relations (i) wi?ws±4 cm and wo?ws±4 cm; (ii) wi?ws and/or wo?ws; and (iii) wi?ws+1 cm and/or wo?ws+1 cm is satisfied.

Abstract: A dosing feeder for a powder-fusing apparatus that includes a powder inlet that is configured to receive powder from a discharge opening of a powder bunker, a powder outlet that is configured to release powder to a recoater reservoir of the powder fusion apparatus, and a powder support that is located in between the powder inlet and the powder outlet and that is configured to convey powder from the powder inlet to the powder outlet. The dosing feeder enables dosing of the powder transferred from the powder bunker to the recoater reservoir with high precision if the powder support is coupled to an ultrasonic transmitter and/or to a vibrational drive.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) for producing three-dimensional workpieces (15), comprising a carrier (7) for receiving raw material powder (9), a build chamber wall (11, 11a, 11b) which extend substantially vertically and which is adapted to laterally delimit and support the raw material powder (9) applied to the carrier (7); an irradiation unit (17) for selectively irradiating the raw material powder (9) applied to the carrier (7) with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation in order to produce on the carrier (7) a workpiece (15) manufactured from the raw material powder (9) by an additive layer building method, wherein the irradiation unit (17) comprises at least one optical element; and a vertical movement device (31) which is adapted to move the irradiation unit (17) vertically relative to the carrier (7).

Abstract: A device is provided, for analyzing sensor data of a sensor arranged in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece via irradiation of layers of raw material with an energy beam. Further, a corresponding method and a corresponding computer program product are provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an irradiation system (20), the irradiation system (20) being used in a device (10) for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional workpieces and comprising at least three irradiation units (22a-d, 50), the method comprising the following steps: a) defining an irradiation region (30a-d) for each of the irradiation units (22a-d, 50), the irradiation regions (30a-d) each comprising a portion of an irradiation plane (28) which extends parallel to a carrier (16) of the device (10), and the irradiation regions (30a-d) being defined such that they overlap in a common overlap region (34); b) irradiating a raw material powder layer on the carrier (16) to produce a workpiece layer; c) arranging a further raw material powder layer on the already jetted raw material powder layer to produce a further workpiece layer. d) The invention also relates to a device for performing this method.

Abstract: An apparatus including a process chamber accommodating a carrier for receiving a raw material powder. An irradiation device of the apparatus is configured to selectively irradiate electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder on the carrier in order to produce a work piece by an additive layer construction method, wherein a transmission element allows the transmission of the electromagnetic or particle radiation into the process chamber. The apparatus further includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet for supplying and discharging gas to and from the process chamber which are configured to generate a protective gas stream for protecting the transmission element from being contaminated by impurities present in the process chamber. The gas inlet includes a gas permeable, porous component forming a gas inlet area.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional semi-finished product comprises the steps of applying a first raw material powder to a carrier, applying a second raw material powder to the carrier, selectively irradiating the first raw material powder applied to the carrier with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, in order to manufacture a workpiece produced from the first raw material powder on the carrier by a generative layer construction method, and selectively irradiating the second raw material powder applied to the carrier with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, in order to manufacture a support element produced from the second raw material powder on the carrier by a generative layer construction method, wherein the support element produced from the second raw material powder has a higher thermal conductivity than the workpiece produced from the first raw material powder and wherein the support element dissipates heat introduced during the irradiation of the first and the seco

Abstract: A powder delivery device for providing raw material powder to a powder application device of a powder bed fusion apparatus is provided. The powder delivery device comprises a powder supply section configured to receive raw material powder, the powder supply section comprising an outlet for providing the raw material powder to the powder application device. The powder delivery device further comprises a first physical parameter determining unit arranged at a first location of the powder supply section and configured to determine a first physical parameter in the powder supply section, and a controller configured to determine whether the first physical parameter meets a first tolerance criterion, and a powder treatment unit. The controller is configured to instruct the powder treatment unit to perform a powder treatment in case it determines that the first physical parameter does not meet the first tolerance criterion.

Abstract: A device (48) for calibrating an irradiation system (18) of an apparatus (10) for producing a three-dimensional work piece comprises a control unit (50) adapted to control the irradiation system (18) so as to irradiate a radiation beam (22; 22a, 22b) onto an irradiation plane (52) according to a calibration pattern. The device (48) further comprises a sensor arrangement (56) adapted to be arranged in the irradiation plane (52) and to output signals to the control unit (50) in response to being irradiated with the radiation beam (22; 22a, 22b) according to the calibration pattern.

Abstract: A method for producing or repairing a three-dimensional workpiece, the method including: depositing a sequence of layers of a raw material powder onto a substrate; after depositing a raw material powder layer, irradiating selected areas of the deposited raw material powder layer with an electromagnetic or particle radiation beam in a site selective manner in accordance with an irradiation pattern which corresponds to a geometry of at least part of a layer of the three-dimensional workpiece to be produced, the irradiation pattern including a scan pattern, wherein the substrate has a substantially single-crystalline microstructure; the irradiation is controlled so as to maintain the single-crystalline microstructure and to produce a metallurgical bond between sites of the raw material powder layer that are irradiated and the substrate and/or a previously deposited raw material powder layer, defining the scan pattern, so as to be one of a unidirectional or two directional scan pattern, rotating the scan pattern

Abstract: A device for calibrating an irradiation system of an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece includes a control unit to control the irradiation system so as to irradiate a radiation beam onto an irradiation plane according to a calibration pattern. The device also includes a sensor arrangement arranged in the irradiation plane to output signals to the control unit in response to being irradiated with the radiation beam according to the calibration pattern. The control unit generates a digital image of an actual irradiation pattern produced by the radiation beam incident on the sensor arrangement based on the signals output by the sensor arrangement, compares the digital image of the actual irradiation pattern with a digital image of a reference pattern so as to determine a deviation between the actual irradiation pattern and the reference pattern, and calibrates the irradiation system based on the determined deviation between the actual irradiation pattern and the reference pattern.

Abstract: In a method for controlling an irradiation system for use in an apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece, a first and a second irradiation area as well as an overlap area arranged between the first and the second irradiation area are defined on a surface of a carrier adapted to receive layers of a raw material powder to be irradiated with electromagnetic or particle radiation emitted by the irradiation system. A first irradiation unit of the irradiation system is assigned to the first irradiation area and the overlap area, and a second irradiation unit of the irradiation system is assigned to the second irradiation area and the overlap area. At least one of the first irradiation area, the second irradiation area and the overlap area is defined in dependence on a geometry of the three-dimensional work piece to be produced.

Abstract: A device (10) for calibrating an irradiation system (12) of an apparatus (14) for producing a three-dimensional work piece is suggested, the irradiation system (12) comprising a first irradiation unit (16) for selectively irradiating a first irradiation beam (18) along a first operating axis (20) onto an irradiation plane (22) and a second irradiation unit (24) for selectively irradiating a second irradiation beam (26) along a second operating axis (28) onto the irradiation plane (22), wherein the device (10) comprises: control unit (30) adapted to control the first irradiation unit (16) so as to irradiate the first irradiation beam (18) onto the irradiation plane (22) according to an irradiation pattern (32) and to control the second irradiation unit (24) so as to displace the second operating axis (28) relative to the irradiation plane (22) such that the second operating axis (28) traverses the irradiation pattern (32) produced by the first irradiation unit (16) onto the irradiation plane (22); and a detect

Abstract: A method for producing or repairing a three-dimensional work piece, the method comprising the following steps: providing at least one substrate (15); depositing a first layer of a raw material powder onto the substrate (15); and irradiating selected areas of the deposited raw material powder layer with an electromagnetic or particle radiation beam (22) in a site selective manner in accordance with an irradiation pattern which corresponds to a geometry of at least part of a layer of the three-dimensional work piece to be produced, wherein the irradiation is controlled so as to produce a metallurgical bond between the substrate (15) and the raw material powder layer deposited thereon. Moreover, a use and apparatus are likewise disclosed.

Abstract: A powder application arrangement for use in an apparatus for manufacturing work pieces by irradiating powder layers with electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation, the powder application arrangement comprises a carrier adapted to receive layers of a raw material powder and a work piece made of the raw material powder by a generative layer construction method. The powder application arrangement further includes a powder application device configured to deposit the raw material powder onto the carrier At least one camera is attached to the powder application device in such a position that it is capable of acquiring images of at least one of a surface of a raw material powder layer applied onto the carrier by means of the powder application device and a surface of the work piece made of the raw material powder by a generative layer construction method while the powder application device is moved across the carrier.

Abstract: An unpacking system for use in an apparatus for producing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating layers of a raw material powder electromagnetic or particle radiation comprises a supporting structure which is configured to support a building chamber arrangement. The building chamber arrangement comprises a building chamber accommodating a carrier, the carrier being configured to receive a three-dimensional work piece produced from a raw material powder by an additive layering process. A lowering mechanism of the unpacking system is configured to apply a driving force to the building chamber so as to lower the building chamber relative to the carrier until a three-dimensional work piece received on the carrier can be removed from the carrier.

Abstract: A powder circuit (36) for use in an apparatus (10) for producing three-dimensional work pieces by irradiating layers of a raw material powder with electromagnetic or particle radiation comprises a process chamber (12) accommodating a carrier (16) and a powder application device (14) for applying a raw material powder onto the carrier (16), the process chamber (12) being provided with a powder inlet (30) for supplying raw material powder to the powder application device (14) and a powder outlet (32) for discharging excess raw material powder from the process chamber (12). The powder circuit (36) further comprises a powder circulation line (34) connecting the powder outlet (32) of the process chamber (12) to the powder inlet (30) of the process chamber (12) and a conveying device (38) arranged in the powder circulation line (34) for conveying the raw material powder through the powder circulation line (34).

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece comprises a process chamber accommodating a carrier for receiving a raw material powder and an irradiation device for selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder applied onto the carrier in order to produce the work piece from said raw material powder by an additive layer construction method, the irradiation device comprising at least one radiation source and at least one optical unit with a plurality of optical elements. A heat transfer arrangement is configured to transfer heat generated by a heat source to the at least one optical unit of the irradiation device. The apparatus further comprises a control unit configured to control the heat transfer arrangement so as to adjust a temperature of the at least one optical unit of the irradiation device.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional work piece, the apparatus comprises a process chamber accommodating a carrier for receiving a raw material powder, an irradiation device for selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder on the carrier in order to produce a work piece made of said raw material powder by an additive layer construction method, a first gas inlet for supplying gas to the process chamber and a gas outlet for discharging gas from the process chamber, wherein the first gas inlet and the gas outlet are configured and arranged in such a manner that a first gas flow across the carrier is generated, a transmission element which allows the transmission of the electromagnetic or particle radiation emitted by the irradiation device into the process chamber, and a second gas inlet for supplying gas to the process chamber, wherein the second gas inlet is configured and arranged in such a manner that a second gas flow in a direction facing away from th

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for producing three-dimensional work pieces comprises a carrier (16), a powder application device (14) for applying a raw material powder onto the carrier (16), an irradiation device (18) selectively irradiating electromagnetic or particle radiation onto the raw material powder applied onto the carrier (16), and a control unit (38) which is adapted to control the operation of the powder application device (14) and the irradiation device (18) in dependence of the crystallization behavior of the raw material powder, in order to tailor the microstructure of a work piece made of said raw material powder by a additive layer construction method.